Printing-plate holder.



No. 671,932. Patented Apr. 9, l90l. 0.. 8,. MILES. PRINTING PLATEHOLDER.

(Application med Aug. 27, 1900.

(No Model.)

THE Noam: Farms 00,. PHOYO-LITHQ, wunmorou. n. a

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES S. MILLS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

PRINTING-PLATE HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 671,932, dated April 9,1901. Application filed August 27, 1900. Serial No. 28,109. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES S. MILLS, a citizen of the United States,residing in the city of New York, borough of Manhattan, in the State ofNew York, have in vented certain new and useful Improvements inPrint-ing- Plate Holders, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in holders forprinting-plates-such, for example, as electrotype-platesthe invention being designed with the object of providing mea'n sfor quickly andreliably securing the plates to the block for printing or for removingthe plates after printing. For this purpose the invention consists in aholder for printingplates comprising a block having grooves of greaterwidth at the lower than at the upper part, and plate-clamps arranged onsaid block, each of said clamps consisting of a nut of such thickness asto pass into the groove at its upper part and of greater width than theupper width of the groove, a face portion, and a screw connecting saidnut and face portion, said grooves being of such dimension as to permitthe falling in the same of the nut from upright into flat position, andthe parts being so proportioned that the screw when inserted through thetop of the groove can pick up the fallen nut; and the inventionconsists, further, of certain other details of construction andcombinations of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of a portion ofthe plate-holder, showing a plate clamped upon the block. Fig. 2 is avertical section on line 2 2, Fig. 1. Figs. 3 and 4 are respectively atop view and a sectional view on line 4: 4, Fig.3, showing the mannerofinserting the nut into a groove of the block. Figs. 5, 6, and 7 areperspective views, respectively, of the connecting-screw, face portion,and nut of the clamp; and Figs. 8 and 9 are respectively a top view anda vertical section on line 9 9, Fig. 8, showing the clamp locked to theblock.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the severalviews.

A indicates the block of my improved plateholder, which block is of thesame construction as now in common use and of any desired size. Thegrooves a a are wider at their lower than their upper parts. The platesP are secured to the block by means of plateclamps B, each of which iscomposed of three partsnamely, a nut b, a face portion b, and

a screw b the beveled head of which fits into a countersunk opening inthe face portion, While its threaded shank engages a threaded opening inthe nut. The shoulder b of the face portion extends diagonally acrossthe same and beyond the beveled side of the face portion, forming thelip b. The nut is made of such thickness as when turned on edge it willpass easily into the groove, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, and the width ofwhich is greater than the width of the groove at its upper portion, soas to prevent withdrawal of the nut when in the position indicated indotted lines in Fig. 4 and in full lines in Fig. 9. The Width of the nutis not, however, so great as to prevent its turning in the groove. Thegrooves of the blocks at present in common use are of such dimensions asto permit the nut to fall from upright into flat position in the groove.The sides of the nut are so formed as to present the samecontact-surface to the groove sides, whether the nut fall in onedirection or the other, each side of the nut being beveled in bothdirectionst'. e., from the two opposite faces, as shown at 12 to conformto the shape of the groove and preferably at an angle corresponding tothat of the groove sides.

The clamps are used in the following manner: The nut is dropped into agroove at a convenient distance from the edge of the plate to which theclamp is to be applied. It immediately falls into the position shown indotted lines in Fig. 4. The face portion is now placed above it upon theblock, with the shoulder 12 in the groove, and the screw 1) is insertedthrough the face portion and screwed into the nut. The connected clampis now moved up to the plate, the beveled edge of which is engaged bythe beveled edge of the face portion. The screw is now tightened,drawing the nut up into tight frictional contact with the groove sidesof the block, as shown in Fig. 9, thereby looking the clamp immovablyupon the block in contact with the plate. When it is desired to removethe clamp, the screw is completely removed from the nut and the faceportion and screw removed. A small hook-shaped tool of any suitableconstruction is then inserted into the groove and the nut quickly raisedon edge and removed.

In place of a number of individual clamps clamping-bars 0 may beemployed, such a bar consisting of a face-strip provided withproperly-spaced shoulders b and connected by clamping-screws to nuts ofidentical construction with the nuts of the individual clamps.

The advantage of my improved nut is that it permits the connecting ofthe clamps with the block at any point desired without the necessity ofsliding the nut in from the end of the groove at the side of the blockineach case, which was inconvenient and was heretofore the only way ofinserting the nut. By myimproved clamps both time and labor heretoforeconsumed are saved and the operation of locking the plates to the blockis greatly facilitated.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- 1. A holder for printing-plates, comprising a blockhaving grooves of greater width at the lower than at the upper part, andplateclamps arranged on said block, each of said clamps consisting of anut of such thickness as to pass into the groove at the upper part, andof greater width than the upper width of the groove, a face portion, anda screw connecting said nut and face portion, said grooves being of suchdimension as to permit the falling in the same of the nut from uprightinto flat position, and the parts being so proportioned that the screwwhen inserted through the top of the groove can pick up the fallen nut,substantially as set forth.

2. A holder for printing-plates, comprising a block having grooves ofgreater width at the lower than at the upper part, and plateclampsarranged on said block, each of said clamps consisting of a nut of suchthickness as to pass into the groove at its upper part, and of greaterwidth than the upper width of the groove, and having its sides beveledfrom two opposite faces to conform with the shape of the groove, a faceportion, and a screw connecting said nut and face portion, substantiallyas set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed mynamein presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES S. MILLS.

